Film applicator



July 7, 1959 H. J. BEENS IFILM APPLICA'IIOR Filed Jan. 8, 1957 niwd SeteP FILM APPLICA'IDR Hendrik J. Beens, Zaandam, Netherlands, asslguor to Pieter Schoen & Zoon N.V., Zaandam, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Application January 8, 1957, Serial No. 633,102 Claims priority, application Netherlands January 10, 1956 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-236) This invention relates to a film applicator for applying two or more films of paints. printing inks, dyes and pigments in paste form or in a more liquid form, which films are to be compared, said applicator comprising a doctor blade and end walls and partition walls extending at right angles to said doctor blade and forming a series of wells for receiving the paint to be applied, which walls are formed integral with said doctor blade.

Apparatuses are known in which an applicator is permanently built in. After filling the wells a strip of special paper or the like is then pulled through below the doctor blade which is adjustable by means of screws.

Said known apparatuses are complicated and expensive. Now the object of the invention is to provide a film applicator by means of which films of paint may be applied to any fiat surface, notably to the surface to be painted, which results in the additional advantage that the paint can be viewed in the light that will fall on the place where said paint is ultimately to be applied.

This end is achieved according to the invention in that the film applicator is so formed that the partition walls have a substantially V-shaped profile, the apex of the V being flattened, the doctor blade having a rectangular trapezium-shaped cross section, the flattened apex of the V of the partition walls and the oblique side of the trapezium being directed to the same side and the short parallel side of the trapezium being directed to the wells, the flattened apex side of the V extending over the oblique side of the trapezium up to the base thereof while tapering to a sharp point, said base of the trapezium terminating a slight distance above the plane of said flattened apex side.

In the manner described above a very simple construction without any moving parts is obtained. In addition the result is achieved that the films of paint will flow against each other instead of being pressed against each other, as is the case in the known apparatuses, so that contrary to what takes place if the films are applied with the known apparatuses they will be less liable to flow into each other and consequently the essential boundary line will be more distinct.

The invention will now be elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an embodiment of the film applicator according to the invention as seen looking from the side which will contact the surface to which the films are to be applied.

Figure 2 is a section on line II-II in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a section on line III-III in Figure 1.

The film applicator 1 shown in the figures is meant for applying two films. It comprises a doctor blade 2 (Figure 3) having a rectangular trapezium-shaped cross section. The oblique side 3 of the doctor blade has an inclination of about 1:24 in respect of the surface to which the films of paint are to be applied.

A partition wall 4 and two end walls 5 and 6 defining the wells 7, 8 extend at right angles to the doctor blade. By means of a spatula or from a collapsible tube the 2,893,040 Patented July 7, 195.9

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2 paint may be applied to the surface defined by said wells, on which surface the films are to be provided. Subsequently the applicator is movzd in the direction of the arrow 9 (Figure 1), whereby the paint is spread into two films exactly bordering on each other.

As the base 10 of the trapezium-shaped cross section (vide Figure 3) does not extend entirely up to the plane 11 containing the walls 5, 6 of rectangular cross section, but leaves free a gap having a thickness of e.g. 0.04 mm. the paint is spread out by the oblique side to form a layer of the same thickness.

As the partition wall 4 has a V shaped cross section having a flattened apex 12 (Figure 2), which flattening tapers into a sharp point (vide Figure 1 at 13) the two films formed will contact each other without a mixing or flowing together of these films at the boundary line taking place immediately.

The applicator which in plan view has the shape of a comb and which may be formed e.g. from a piece of sheet metal is provided with a handle 14.

It will be clear that it is also possible to provide three or four wells, in which case there are two or three partition Walls.

I claim:

1. A film applicator for applying film-forming materials to flat surfaces comprising, at least three substantially parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending, workcontacting, wall-forming members for engaging the flat surfaces substantially in a common plane, an elongated member cross-connecting said work-contacting members on an end portion thereof and cooperating therewith to define two wells for receiving film-forming materials to be applied to said flat surfaces, the cross-connecting mem-- her having a single inclined lower surface spaced from: said flat surfaces when the applicator is being used and. converging toward the common plane of the work-contacting members and converging in a direction toward a. rearward side of said cross-connecting member to pro-- vide an edge evenly spaced from said plane a predetermined distance for laying a film of a desired thickness on said surfaces, and one of said work-contacting members comprising an intermediate longitudinal member extending substantially normal to a front side of said cross-connecting member and having a truncated V-shaped work-contacting profile for engaging the flat surfaces in said common plane, said profile converging longitudinally toward a sharp edge terminating at a point corresponding with said edge, whereby two well defined films of equal thickness can be applied side by side with the film applicator.

2. A film applicator for applying film-forming mate rials to flat surfaces comprising, at least three substantially parallel, spaced, longitudinally extending, workcontacting, wall-forming members for engaging the flat surfaces substantially in a common plane and an elongated member cross-connccting said work-contacting members on an end portion thereof and cooperating therewith to define two wells for receiving film-forming materials to be applied to said flat surfaces, the crossconnecting member having a single, inclined, lower surface spaced from said flat surfaces when the applicator is being used and converging toward the common plane of the work-contacting members and converging in a direction toward a rearward side of said cross-connecting member to provide an edge evenly spaced from said plane a predetermined distance for laying a film of a desired thickness on said surfaces, one of said workcontacting members comprising an intermediate longitudinal member extending substantially normal to a front side of said cross-connecting member and having a truncated V-shaped work-contacting profile for engaging the flat surfaces in said common plane, said profile converginglongitudinally toward a sharp edge terminating at a point' corresponding with said edge, whereby at least two well defined films of equal thickness can be applied side by side with the film'applicaior, and said intermediate 'hjelmber' comprising adongitudinally ejrtendin g uppe r'portion forming a handle-for applying pressiire oniformly to the applicator work-contacting members.

References i ited in the file of this patent UNITED STAIES PATENTS 

